Anderson sat out further in the County Championship game against Somerset at Old Trafford after posting figures of 14-7-16-2 on the first day. His absence was met with no official injury update until the ECB released the news belatedly on Sunday night, less than three weeks before the game at Lord’s.

England is expected to announce its team to face Ireland next week, and Anderson, who underwent a scan on Saturday, will be “assessed closer to the time,” according to an ECB statement.

With Ashes starting in just over a month, and Lancashire not playing first-class cricket between now and June 11, Anderson might find it difficult to prove his fitness ahead of the first Test of the series at Edgbaston.

The injury will bring back memories of visiting Australia in 2019, when Anderson played the opener but bowled just four overs before suffering a series-ending calf strain. The 40-year-old, who is the third most points scorer in Test history, has played four of five matches for Lancashire so far this season, claiming 16 wickets at 20:30.

England are likely to be without Jofra Archer for the start of Ashes, after the fast bowler returned early from the IPL to continue rehabbing a long-standing elbow problem, while Olly Stone is expected to be out. for several weeks due to a hamstring strain sustained while playing for Nottinghamshire.